Summer 2024: How Brands Navigated Euros, Olympics and Viral Trends

As the summer of 2024 takes its leave, we can't help but look back on the wild ride that brands have taken us on over the last three months. The Euros, Olympics, Paralympics, a general election, US election campaign trails, blockbuster films, anniversaries: it's been a jam-packed few months.

Brands are aiming to connect with people more genuinely and naturally. While this has been the mantra for years, this summer's marketing strategies have elevated authenticity to new levels. By tapping into the cultural pulse of major global events, engaging with emerging trends, supporting social causes, and celebrating everyday moments, brands haven’t just promoted their products—they’ve integrated themselves into conversations and experiences that truly resonate with people.

The "very demure, very mindful" trend on TikTok, started by Jools Lebron (@joolieannie) in August, began as a joke about being "demure at work". It quickly gained popularity, with brands like Netflix, Maybelline, and even NASA and the White House, joining in. Netflix also rebranded some shows as "demure and mindful," while Warner Bros teased the Beetlejuice sequel, and Jennifer Lopez punted her own Delola L'Orange Spritz. The hashtag #demure garnered over 618.6K posts, turning a lighthearted joke into a viral cultural moment.

The "very demure, very mindful" trend proves that a well-placed joke can spiral into a full-blown viral sensation, especially on TikTok where even the most innocuous content can take on a life of its own. This trend underscores how social media can transform a fleeting joke into a prime marketing opportunity, proving once again that in the world of branding, timing and trend-chasing are everything.

The UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 2024) presented a prime marketing opportunity for brands. Major international sponsors included Adidas, Lidl, Coca-Cola Zero, Booking.com and AliExpress, but British brands also seized the moment to engage with the tournament’s excitement. For instance, Paddy Power and Danny Dyer created a playful ad reflecting on England's football culture and rivalries.

Other notable campaigns included Andrex's support ads for England, Hellmann’s as the BBQ partner, and the British Heart Foundation's ad on Sudden Cardiac Death. AB InBev brand Budweiser and Revolt released a heartwarming ad with the last living winner of the 1966 World Cup, Sir Geoff Hurst.

And despite Scotland's limited progress in the tournament, their passion and humour won the admiration of fans.

This underscores how major events can serve as powerful platforms for marketing, allowing brands to connect with audiences through tailored, culturally-relevant content and emotional appeals. Engaging with the event’s themes and leveraging national pride can enhance brand visibility and impact, even for those not directly sponsoring the event.

The Deadpool franchise and Ryan Reynolds always deliver memorable marketing magic. With Deadpool and Wolverine hitting the silver screen this summer, we were hit with a barrage of brand partnerships, trends, and memes. Reynolds and co-star Hugh Jackman were everywhere, from chat shows to social media series, and even had their promotions linked with Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively's latest film, creating a whirlwind of excitement.

""I don’t envy anyone in the movie business right now," says Ella Britton, strategy director at Total Media. "How do you even compete with the marketing masterclass Barbie showed us last year? Viral meme; check. Margot Robbie’s impeccable press tour; check. AIRBNB BARBIE DREAMHOUSE; Triple check. Barbie walked (in heels) so Deadpool could run. This year we’ve seen pre-rolls, custom popcorn buckets, and a whole lot of brand partnerships promoting the latest in the Deadpool franchise, and it’s the latter that I find so interesting."

Ahead of the film's release, we saw partnerships with Aviation American Gin, Heinz, Heineken, Dave & Buster’s and Xbox, some produced by Reynold's marketing company, Maximum Effort.

The collaboration with Heinz poked fun at how Deadpool’s red suit and Wolverine’s yellow suit look similar to Heinz ketchup and mustard Heinz. And to add to the humour, Reynolds makes fun of the ad placement in the ad, breaking the fourth-wall like his onscreen persona, Deadpool.

Britton adds, "Brand partnerships are tricky to get right because they have to be authentic enough to buy into but distinctive enough to stand out and honestly...Deadpool nailed it. Whether it was the uncanny likeness of costumes to Heinz’s ketchup and mustard or the use of specific characters to connect to to specific brands like old spice & blind al, everything sort of just made sense in a really really weird way."

In an interview, Maximum Effort co-founder George Dewey said that the agency's goal was to achieve a "cultural breakthrough" rather than just a high volume of partnerships, selecting brands that could authentically align with the film's tone.

Post-release, the memes were delicious and likely the most interactive trend to come out was NSync's 'Bye Bye Bye' dance. Fans were re-introduced to this 90s hit in the opening sequence of the film.

The internet went into a flurry with dance tutorials and recreations uploaded to social media platforms like TikTok. On TikTok alone, #deadpool has currently 1.7m posts.

While it caused a viral moment, it does play into the nostalgia of moviegoers and the trend of the film series in its opening sequences of classic pop tracks played over violent acts and witty commentary.

"The marketing towed the line between bat shit and brilliant, with partnerships both confusing and oddly relevant. I think brands should follow suit, consider partnerships a little more left field and have more fun." Britton adds.

This success highlights the importance of brand alignment and creativity. By partnering with brands that authentically fit the film’s tone and using humorous, creative approaches it stood out. The viral success of the film’s use of nostalgia demonstrates how tapping into popular culture and social media can drive engagement and create memorable moments. Overall, the campaign underscores the value of aiming for a cultural breakthrough rather than just focusing on the volume of partnerships.

Some additional honourable mentions also go to Taylor Swift's Era's Tour, Kamala Harris taking centre stage in the US Elections and McDonald’s 50th Anniversary, meaning the past three months have been quite the rollercoaster.

Here’s a roundup of agency execs on their top cultural moments of the summer:

Brat Summer - Emma De La Fosse, CCO, Edelman

The brand of the Summer was Brat.

The Summer of 2024 wasn’t just any old summer, it was #BratSummer. Charli XCX and her album connected with culture so successfully that Brat succeeded in becoming the unofficial sponsors of an entire season, without spending a penny or asking anyone’s permission.

The music and the message it sent, hit the cultural zeitgeist bullseye. What was it about Brat that struck such a cultural nerve? It was simple for sure, a slash of vivid green, and thus easy to adopt.

But in addition to that, Brat spoke to something people really cared about - being their true, authentic selves. The ‘CleanGirlEra’ and Barbie Core had shaped culture for over a year, precipitated by Greta Gerwig’s smash hit Barbie movie and the Taylor Swift Era’s tour. Brat was a visceral reaction against that. As a brand, it was clear what Brat stood for; a fundamental, primal desire for freedom of expression, individualism and authenticity.

In fact, far from dying away along with the last days of Summer, it looks like Brat is being re-born as ‘BRAUTUMN’. The term has already garnered a following of 1.4m on TikTok and a collaboration with H&M is rumoured….get ready to get messy all over again.

White Claw - Marianne Bellorin, global planning director, VCCP

There has never been a Summer like Summer 2024. The whiplash from Brat to Demure alone deserves its own analysis but the ultimate takeaway for marketers is to never underestimate people’s desire to be part of a movement. We are aching for it. It’s the brands that understood this that won Summer 2024.

White Claw, a brand born from culture, locked in on this truth from the very beginning. You only grow your core if you serve your core. In this case, the core is raging with the masses at the best music events around the world. Instead of fighting this wave, White Claw made a strategic decision to ride it. In Summer 2024 we turned Festival Days into White Claw days. The brand routinely outsells beer 6:1 at events across the US. In the UK, you can’t miss the overflow of crushed cans at Drumsheds (the largest rave warehouse on the planet right now). But the most damning stat of all is how a stampede of Glasto-goers completely wiped the White Claw stock available for the week. White Claw is without a doubt part of the fabric of the festival scene. It’s where the brand's community is and the ultimate experience of the product itself (I know, I’ve lived it!). It’s evidence that you can't force-fit your brand into culture. Otherwise accept that it will inevitably be rejected like a bad organ.

Though not all brands need to own an occasion to prove cultural credibility. Some just need to listen to the conversations being had about them and respond. Even the comments that most brand owners would rather delete off their pages. Surprisingly, these are the conversations that Chipotle jumps in on. They just sent thousands of forks to Trevor Wallace (who, by the way, has 5.28M Subscribers on Youtube) as an apology for a less than satisfying experience with their cutlery. Hilarious? Yes. Risky? Absolutely. But did they get millions of UGC content off the back of that? Of course. And, I bet you know what your lunch plans are.

Olympian Creator Economy - Marina Glavan, strategy director, AMV BBDO

While it might seem obvious, one of the brands that truly defined the summer of 2024 was the Olympics—not necessarily because of the brand itself, but through the lens of the creator community of Olympians surrounding it, especially on TikTok.

From unboxing sponsorship kits and trying on gear to stress-testing the cardboard beds and touring the Olympic Village, we got a backstage pass to parts of the Olympics that are usually a mystery to spectators, while also getting a sense of the Olympians’ personalities.

Of course, we had our favourite athletes like Tom Daley, Simone Biles, and Ilona Maher, but then came Olympic power couple Hunter and Tara Davis-Woodhall, along with newcomers like the Norwegian Muffin Man (swimmer Henrik Christiansen). It was like the best bite-sized reality show, with new characters unlocked each day. We even got a spin-off show, with the surfers aboard the Olympic Village cruise ship in Tahiti, featuring highlights like Team Germany and Team New Zealand’s balcony raves.

These Olympians-turned-creators gave us a closer connection to the athletes, which only heightened the excitement of the events. People were so invested that they demanded athletes list their country and sport in their bios to cheer them on while watching the games. This response shows the power of creators in shaping the way we consume content. Through their relatability and authenticity, they made something as massive and complex as the Olympics feel more personal, transforming a global event into something fans could deeply connect with on a human level.

And let’s not forget the Paralympics' official TikTok page. Its edgy, meme-based, dark humour had people wondering if it had been hacked, but in reality, it’s run by Paralympians themselves. Whether you love it or find it controversial, it’s undeniably raised the profile of the Paralympics and disability in sports, particularly among younger audiences, by embracing trend-based content.

Jacquemus - Sophie Cullinane, creative director, Gravity Road

It takes a pretty serious commitment to being pretty bloody playful to kick off a summer campaign by casting Bad Bunny as a Giacometti sculpture and end it by sending an ice cream truck shaped like a handbag down one of the chi-chi-est streets in Nice.

But that’s Jacquemus, who confidently settled into its position as one of the most refreshingly irreverent fashion brands this summer whilst giving brands from luxury fashion and beyond a masterclass in how to “do” viral surrealist marketing with a wink and a smile.

Take, for example, the singular best CGI campaign out of a sea of lacklustre CGI campaigns. Whenit sent three handbags on wheels hurtling down the streets of Paris, thousands of people questioned whether or not it was real. It looked that good.

Falling lemons later confirmed a beach club collaboration with the achingly cool Indie Beach Pampelone to a choir of thousands of organic comments. The brand doesn’t just to tech for tech’s sake, but has a masterful understanding of how marrying technology and culture can have an upweight impact for their audience. We were all seriously jealous we hadn’t thought to do it first.

And then there are the shows. Ohhhhh the shows. Treated more like experiential pop ups than they are traditional fashion shows, this summer Jacquemus pulled off the “impossible show” at Casa Malaparte, the Capri set location of Jean Luc Godard’s new wave modernist classic Le Mepris. If that all sounds a bit chin-scratchy to you don’t worry - the whole show was shot with drones and included promotional work made out of blocks of butter.

Oh, and then there was the multi-year Nike partnership deal and pop up stores in Lake Como and the Alps. If there was any doubt, this summer crystalised that the Jacquemus marketing team know what they’re doing and act as inspiration for brands in fashion and out.

And if you read all of this as a thinly veiled attempt to get a discount off the clothes you’ve got my number…just phwoar.

A Sporting Fever Dream - Ben Worden, CSO, VML

As the drizzle descends and Autumn kicks in, Summer 2024 now feels like a fever dream defined by a relentless sporting schedule.

So I guess it’s only natural that most of the brands that made summer 2024 for me did so by being close to the action.

England really showed up at Euro 2024. Adidas’ ‘Hey Jude’ was spine-tingling, even if the early stages of the tournament weren’t.

The Paris Olympic Games were a stunning spectacle - as good as any I can remember seeing. Amidst all the Olympic noise two things moved me more than anything else: Channel 4’s dedication to outstanding coverage of the Paralympics, and 'The Relay' from Apple that sent a powerful message via the medium of a product demo.

As the summer of 2024 draws to a close, the launch of LA28 as a brand felt exciting so much so that I’ve gone all in on the merch and made a promise to myself to make sure I get there somehow…

Coca Cola and the Olympics - Angus George and Johnny Watters, ECDs, Ogilvy UK

Coca-Cola and the Olympics are two of the world’s biggest cultural cornerstones. For the first time ever their celebration of the 2024 games will be powered by social media and Influencers. This campaign represents the new order of brand marketing. Coca-Cola and the Olympics are the only brands that can bring global communities together on such a grand scale, testimony to their incredible long-standing relationship. It’s Magic When The World Comes Together will define our summer of sport, powering community and fandom not experienced for generations.

The Coca-Cola 'Embrace Can' was about putting the spirit of both Coca-Cola and the Olympics in the hands of consumers in a tangible way. We wanted people to physically experience the act of togetherness and connection, even if it was just through two Coca-Cola cans coming together. For Coca-Cola, the product is our number one medium, so it's the most powerful place to land our message. But it also requires the most brutal simplicity of thought and design. You're playing with an icon - you have to elevate it, not clutter it. And most importantly, we can't let on shelf cut-through suffer. So our design team went through numerous iterations, experimenting with different illustrations and placements to ensure the hug felt natural and visually appealing. We also wanted to make sure the cans worked both individually and as a pair, each telling part of the story.

The final result, with the illustration of one side of a hug on each can, perfectly captures the spirit of togetherness we were aiming for. It's a simple yet powerful reminder that even the smallest gestures can create a sense of connection. By collaborating with three French artists - Laura Normand, Aurelia Durand and Bruno Mangyoku - we aimed to re-enforce the spirit of diversity and unity that is unique to the Olympic movement.

When you're working with two of the world's most recognisable pieces of brand design - the Coca-Cola script and the Olympic rings - you don't take this task lightly. Not only do you want to respect the power of both brands, but you want to live up to the heritage that comes with them. And on top of that, the whole world was watching.